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City of Aliso Viejo · Statewide General Election

Aliso Viejo City Council, District 3 (Short Term)

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person holds your district's seat on Aliso Viejo's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside an appointed city manager who runs day-to-day operations. Aliso Viejo is a general-law city with no separately, citywide-elected Mayor -- the council chooses a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among its own members each year. This particular term is short (see note below): the winner finishes the balance of a departed councilmember's unexpired term rather than serving a full 4 years.

Appointed incumbent Garrett Dwyer is running to keep his District 3 seat against challenger Marie Tsaasan. This is a short-term seat: the winner finishes the balance of elected incumbent Richard Hurt's unexpired term, not a full new 4-year term. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright; there's no runoff.

This person holds District 3's seat on Aliso Viejo's 5-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside an appointed city manager who runs day-to-day operations. Aliso Viejo is a general-law city with no separately, citywide-elected Mayor -- the council chooses a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among its own members each year. This particular term is short (see note below): the winner finishes the balance of a departed councilmember's unexpired term rather than serving a full 4 years.

Richard Hurt was elected to this seat in 2024 but vacated it before his term ended; the council appointed Garrett Dwyer to fill the vacancy in October 2025, and this November's short-term election lets voters decide, for the first time, who finishes out the remainder of that term. Beyond Dwyer's own city bio and Tsaasan's filed occupation, no campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source could be found for either candidate despite a real search effort -- documented below as a gap, not filled in with speculation.

Garrett Dwyer

Appointed to the District 3 council seat in October 2025 to fill the vacancy left by Richard Hurt, Dwyer is now running to keep it through the short remainder of the term. His own city bio describes 23 years working as a residential mortgage loan officer serving clients throughout California; he relocated to Aliso Viejo in 2004 to raise his family. His listed community service spans PTA treasurer, youth soccer coach, AYSO board member, a church substitute-instructor role, an HOA board seat, and YMCA Adventure Guides; he also plays in a Southern California adult hardball league. His bio emphasizes valuing the city's schools, parks, and street safety, but does not lay out specific policy priorities for his campaign.

Strengths

Roughly a year of hands-on incumbency already, having served on the council since his October 2025 appointment.

Trade-offs

He has not yet faced Aliso Viejo voters directly -- his only route onto the council so far has been appointment, not election.

Keep in mind

No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for his campaign in this pass -- see Financial info.

Marie Tsaasan

Filed her candidacy under the ballot designation "Teacher/Mother." No campaign site, news coverage, or other independent source describing her background or platform could be found in this pass despite a real search effort.

Strengths

A teaching background suggests direct, professional familiarity with local schools and youth services; running as a parent gives her a direct stake in family-facing city services.

Trade-offs

No campaign statement or platform was found in this pass beyond her listed occupation, and no prior public service was found for her.

Keep in mind

No CAL-ACCESS record was checked for her campaign in this pass -- see Financial info.

Source review: Very strong (90/100) · 3 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

  • ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters -- Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 -- City of Aliso Viejo section (pages 71-73 of 188): confirms City Council District 2 (2 qualified candidates) and District 3, Short Term (2 qualified candidates) as the city's two November 2026 races, each Vote for 1, plus every candidate's filed ballot designation and, for District 3, the outgoing incumbent of record (Richard Hurt)
  • avcity.org (opens in a new tab)City of Aliso Viejo -- City Council page: the sitting 5-member roster (Mayor Max Duncan, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Munzing, Councilmembers Tiffany Ackley, Garrett Dwyer, and Tim Zandbergen), confirms the city moved to by-district elections starting in 2024, and confirms the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem are chosen annually by the council rather than directly elected
  • avcity.org (opens in a new tab)City of Aliso Viejo -- Councilmember Garrett Dwyer's official bio: confirms his October 2025 appointment to the District 3 seat, term expiring November 2026, plus his occupational and community-service background

Last updated August 31, 2026.